1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medication dispensers and, more particularly to a compact, portable, timer-controlled, tamper resistant, manual advancing device capable of providing and controlling access to medication and dosage amounts to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
The usage of medication in the form of pills to regain and maintain physical and mental health, and the selection, application, and potency of prescription medications, has increased with the advancement of medical science. Likewise, self-taking of prescribed medications by individuals has also increased over the years. This is especially true in instances when medication can be taken in the home to combat diseases or conditions, which, in the past required/allowed user to be hospitalized. With the decrease in the amount of time patients are required to be hospitalized, the self-administration of complex medication without proper supervision has drastically increased. Unfortunately, the adverse effect to a patient who has either improperly taken the correct dosage of medication or who has overdosed on the medication has also increased.
Cases are well documented in every community of medication overdose, misuse, and abuse. These unfortunate actions can lead to various adverse effects on the user's life, as well as those associated with the user, including health risks, personal and social upheaval, reaction, addiction, deceit, fraud and loss of a normal functioning life, such as maintaining a job, caring for family and other basic responsibilities. Non-compliance with self-administered medication schedules is a costly health care problem, which results in increased hospital visits and stays. While a high percentage of those who misuse medications would qualify as high risk, i.e., those with former or current substance abuse or substance addiction issues, those not considered high risk can succumb to the same problems innocently, as they are prescribed use of a highly addictive substance, narcotic, or equivalent prescription, to deal with pain, sleep related problems, depression or other heath issues.
Such risk of addiction concerns prescribing doctors, pharmacists and manufacturers because the risk of misuse and addiction may be more harmful than the condition being addressed. Doctors may under-prescribe to the patient out of such concerns, lessoning the positive effects and attributes that the prescribed medication could provide if taken properly. Free access to a bottle of highly potent, addictive, habit forming medication, can put the physician and the user in an uncomfortable, possibly compromising situation.
The importance of avoiding complications by employing preventive procedures such as the use of intelligent pill dispensers for home use has increased. Present pill devices, however are not well suited for such demanding applications.
In the past these problems were addressed by designing more functions into the device, increasing complexity and cost. Generally, prior home dispensing systems typically are large in size, not readily portable, and do not provide a relative cost effective and easy mechanism to dispense medication. Filling and refilling may require in-home assistance. Transfer and loading of medications by home caregivers rather than a pharmacist introduces the possibility of medication identification errors. By design many of these devices were intended to be provided and supervised by trained caregivers and require monitoring and maintenance. Some of the complexities and functions of these devices include multiple doses in a single compartment, user or caregiver loading of dose compartments, computer programming, computer interfacing, multiple alarm sets, multiple timer set functions, event recording and monitoring, remote monitoring, and audio and visual alarms. These capabilities are labor intensive, timely, and costly.
In contrast, simplified devices provide help in maintaining dose schedules but generally lack adequate overdose protection features.
What is needed is a method, process, and system that allows user access to the medication only at prescribed intervals anywhere the user is situated, yet simple and small enough to maintain inexpensive manufacturing costs. Beneficially, such an apparatus, and system would provide drug manufacturers, prescribing physicians and pharmacies with a level of confidence that the intended use of the medication will be complied with and would provide the user with a compact dispenser that ensures a certain level of protection from possible misuse, dependence or addiction.
Accordingly, a goal of the present invention is to provide an improved pill dispenser without the deficiencies and disadvantages of the above mentioned devices. Specifically, the goal is to provide a simple, reliable, secure, portable, and programmable pill dispenser that has a compact high-strength, tamper resistant outer housing and a plurality locks, holds, and triggers for preventing the pill taker from removing from the pill dispenser more than the prescribed amount of medication during any particular preprogrammed time frame.
Additional features and advantages will become apparent in studying the ensuing drawings and description.